Browsed byTag: monday-classics

Those of you who have read my blog from the beginning know that I have a certain affection for the cocktail known as a Pimm’s Cup. It was the drink that I’d had in a particular bar a few years back, and then couldn’t seem to find anywhere else. I made my own version at home and that kicked off my passionate love affair with the world of spirits. That’s my own personal history with a Pimm’s Cup. The more global history behind this cocktail involves a farmer’s son named Pimm from Kent who owned an …

Many, many classic cocktails have a very muddled history where we find a multitude of bartenders, bar owners, and even authors claiming to have created their recipes. This is not the case with the Moscow Mule. The facts behind the story are almost completely unanimous and they go as follows. In the 1940s, John Hublein was the president of G.F. Heublein & Brothers, the company that made A-1 steak sauce. Hublein had purchased a small vodka label called Smirnoff back in the 30s in an effort to get …

For many cocktail drinkers, myself included, an Old-Fashioned epitomizes the idea of a classic drink. Its basic recipe provides a blank canvas that invites us to explore the idea of putting our own artistic spin on things. While working this past Saturday behind the bar at Cooper River Distillers, I had the opportunity to experiment with creating an Old-Fashioned with our Rye Oak Reserve rum, a distillery-made coffee liqueur, a rich simple from True Syrups & Garnishes, and a dash of orange bitters. You …

One of the most accessible drinks for home bartenders to begin making and to begin putting their own personal spin on is the sour. The standard recipe of base spirit and equal parts sweet and sour ingredients on either side of that creates the perfect blank canvas to begin experimenting. The egg white is always optional, whether it’s because you simply don’t relish the idea of it your drink, or because you are a vegan. Always remember that in the latter case, you can substitute one teaspoon …

The Star Cocktail was a drink that was fairly popular in the 1890s and was mentioned in a number of publications at that time, including the New York Sun, the “Leading Barkeeper’s Report” in the Evansville Courier, and the Cincinnati Post. As with so many classic cocktails, many bar owners, bartenders, and bar manual writers claimed ownership of this drink and published their unique versions of the recipe. Apple brandy and sweet vermouth seemed to remain consistent throughout all …